A method of operating a personal electronic device and an in-vehicle infotainment system includes running an application on one of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system. It is sensed that the personal electronic device has been, or soon will be, moved into or out of a proximity of the in-vehicle infotainment system. Information regarding a state of the one of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system is transferred to the other of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system. An application is selected for the other of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system. The selected application is used to replicate the state of the one of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system on the other of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system.
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1. A method of operating a personal electronic device and an in-vehicle infotainment system, the method comprising the steps of: running an application on one of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system; displaying information regarding the running of the application on a display screen of the one of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system; positioning the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system such that the display screen of the one of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system is disposed within a field of view of an optical sensor of an other of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system; using the optical sensor to capture at least one image of the display screen; analyzing the captured image to thereby extract information regarding a state of the one of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system; selecting an application for the other of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system, the selecting being dependent upon the extracted information; and using the selected application to replicate the state of the one of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system on the other of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system.
An application running on either a phone or a car's infotainment system displays information. An optical sensor (like a camera) on the other device captures an image of the display screen. The captured image is analyzed to understand the application's state (e.g., which song is playing, where you are in navigation). Based on this extracted state information, a corresponding application is selected on the other device. The selected application then replicates the application state on the other device, allowing you to continue using the application on the new device from where you left off. The devices are positioned to allow the camera's field of view to see the device's display.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of recognizing text content and/or objects on the display screen.
In addition to the method described previously for transferring application state between a phone and a car infotainment system using optical sensors and image analysis, the image analysis step also involves recognizing text content and/or objects displayed on the screen. For example, the system can read the title of a song, the name of a contact, or identify UI elements to understand the application state more accurately. This allows for a more precise replication of the application's state on the target device, improving the user experience when transferring application control.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the optical sensor comprises a video camera.
In the application state transfer method between a phone and a car infotainment system that uses optical sensors to capture the device's display, the optical sensor is specifically a video camera. The video camera captures a stream of images from the display screen to be analyzed, extracting state information from the running application, and using that information to select a corresponding app on the other device. The selected app replicates the state on the other device, continuing the application experience between the devices.
4. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of using the optical sensor to search for an identification tag, a bar code, or a specific image on the one of the personal electronic device and the in-vehicle infotainment system.
To improve identification and application state transfer between a phone and a car's infotainment system, the optical sensor searches for a visual marker like an identification tag, a bar code, or a specific image on the device's display screen. This visual marker provides additional context to the system. For example, it can quickly identify which application is running, provide device-specific information, or indicate the state of the application. The marker enables a faster and more reliable application selection and state replication process on the other device.
5. The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of analyzing the captured image in order to determine an activity being performed by a user.
Beyond simply transferring the application state, the system analyzes the captured image of the display screen to determine what the user is doing. For instance, if the image shows a music playlist, the system determines that the user is listening to music. If the image shows a map with a route, the system determines the user is navigating. This identified user activity gives context to the application state, enabling a more intelligent application selection and a seamless replication of the user's task on the other device.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the selecting step is dependent upon the determined activity being performed by the user.
Building on the method for transferring application state between devices, the selection of an application to replicate on the receiving device depends on the user activity. So, if the image analysis shows that the user was actively navigating in the maps application, the system prioritizes launching the navigation feature on the receiving device’s map application. If, however, the system identifies music playback as the user's primary activity, it would focus on replicating that aspect instead, ensuring that the user continues listening to the same music playlist on the other device, maintaining the context of the user's activity.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
May 4, 2010
July 23, 2013
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